Delhi Police opposes removal of 'archaic' words from proceedings

Updated: Sunday, October 25, 2015, 10:17 [IST]

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New Delhi, Oct 25: Delhi Police has opposed in the high court a PIL seeking a direction to replace "archaic and difficult" Persian and Urdu words and phrases with simple Hindi or English words for day-to-day work at police stations.

"The language used by the police is understood by a common man very well and to call this language archaic, difficult and not understandable would be far from truth," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath was told.

Seeking dismissal of the PIL opposing the "use of Urdu and Persian words in proceedings at police stations, recording of statements, submitting of challan in courts", Delhi Police, in its affidavit, further said that replacement of these words would create a lot of difficulties for all.

"The words used are neither archaic nor difficult but on other hand replacement of these words in 'Hindi' as suggested in the petition would create a lot of difficulties, both for litigants and the lawyers," the affidavit stated.

The Delhi Police response was filed in the backdrop of the plea, by advocate Amit Sahni, who submitted that policemen are trained at the Police Training College here to use Urdu and Persian words.

"It is not only cumbersome for Delhi Police officers, who have to learn these archaic Urdu/Persian words but also for accused/counsels and even judicial officers to learn these words in order to understand the proceedings of police," the PIL said.

Delhi Police in its affidavit said, "No difficulty has ever been experienced by anybody including lawyers in understanding the words and phrases, being used by the police.

"Further no extra time, money infrastructure and manpower is being used to teach these words to the personnel training."